Constrained Tribulation
by Insane Pineapple from Naboo
Summary: AU. What happens when the Merovingian successfully manages to capture Neo in Revolutions? What will Morpheus and Trinity do to get him back? (cowritten with Aquarian Wind)
1. Declined Hope

Disclaimer: We don't own the Matrix. You should know this by now. I do own Jinx. 

Authors' Notes: This is cowritten by Aquarian Wind and myself. Make sure you give credit to both authors. Jinx is not, and will never be a mary sue. 

"I have told you before, there's no escaping the nature of the universe. It is that nature that has again brought you to me. Where some see coincidence, I see consequence. Where others see chance, I see cost." ~Merovingian 

Constrained Tribulation

  
"You give me Neo, or we all die, right here, right now." Trinity cocked her gun as she held her hand steady.

The Merovingian calmly sipped his wine as he looked down the barrel towards his accuser. "Have you not figured it out yet? You're too late. Neo is now in capable hands well away from both of us."

"Where is he?" Trinity gritted out as she moved closer to him. She was aware of the guns moving towards her, but she beyond caring for her own life. The risk was great, but the cause was even greater.

"You're ready to die for this man?" the Merovingian asked out of pure curiosity. The simplicity of the matter tasted strange in his mouth. She wanted her lover back, and she was willing to give anything for him. How could someone believe in the purely idealistic notion of love? Were there political negotiations involving saving the One, or did the matter stretch only to signals from the heart.

She cocked her gun back farther. The slightest pressure on the trigger would signify his deletion and the removal of every program and human in the room. Interesting. "Believe it," she stated forcefully as she burned holes into his eyes with her own gaze. 

"Follow me," Persephone answered as gracefully rose from the comfortable couch. The Merovingian glanced over to her and raised an eyebrow slightly. She promptly ignored him. Trinity glowered at him in suspicion, but the Merovingian only looked back at her in contempt. Morpheus reluctantly pulled back his guns as Seraph did the same. They eyed each other in agreement as the followed the Merovingian's wife through the sea of guards. 

At the edge of the stairs, Morpheus noticed his first in command did not follow. "Trinity," he commanded warningly. Trinity withdrew her guns immediately and flipped them into her concealed belt loops. She glared at him in loathing as she silently followed her captain. The Merovingian smirked back at her.

Trinity watched her back as she followed Seraph and Morpheus. The Exiles were up to something, and she wasn't one to not guard her captain's back. She turned her focus back on Persephone and gritted her teeth in annoyance. She wanted to wrap her hands around the slim neck and slowly strangle her until not a single breath was left in her body. The jealousy was only kept at bay by the need to save Neo. 

Morpheus kept his frustration outwardly unnoticeable. His first command was right to be on edge, but she surrounded herself with tension. He nearly sighed as Trinity glared at the doorman. His instincts were picking up on something, but he couldn't put his finger on it. As they entered the parking lot, the club vanished behind them. Was it another trick of the Merovngian? 

"What?" Trinity whispered as she turned around. Both Persephone and Club Hell were gone. "Shit," she muttered as Morpheus whipped out his phone.

"What happened?" he growled into the phone as Trinity watched the spot where the club had just been. How could she have trusted the Exiles into leading them to Neo? 

"What do you mean? Nothing has happened," Link answered as he watched the code stream down the monitor. Nothing had changed. 

"Send out a trace program. We need to know where that building went," Morpheus said as he stood beside Trinity. The parking lot continued in all directions. Nothing moved except Seraph as he waited patiently for them.

"They're waiting for us," Seraph told Trinity as he started towards the exit. Trinity easily caught up to him.

"Who?" she asked as she made sure Morpheus followed. Morpheus nodded for Seraph to continue first.

"The rogue programs. They will find us, and they will attempt to destroy us if we do not go to them first. It is a matter of survival to them, and they do not care about sides in your war. The Exiles only see strategy when it is placed against them. I am only a guide. From here, I will leave you, but the chateau can only be found again by another Exile," Seraph answered as he strode towards the Oracle's home. Trinity wanted to follow, but held herself back. Seraph would be of no further help. 

"The trace program is complete. The catch came up empty. It seems the Merovingian knows how to cover his tracks," Morpheus commented as he walked forward with his hands clasped behind his back. 

"Do we know an exile willing to help us?" Trinity asked as her self-control claimed her once more. Only a clam focus would help them get Neo back now. She had once centered her life around her missions to get by with Zion's command, but they had taken Neo. If she had to destroy the whole goddamn matrix to get him back, then so be it. 

"No, but we do have someone who can," Morpheus answered as they passed potential on the sidewalk. Cars drove past the same way they had for the past one hundred years of this matrix. Agents could attack them at every second, and they to get out quickly. 

"Who?" Oh, god. Don't let it be her. Why did the past have to come back and bite her for every mistake she ever made? She would stay calm. She would not overreact, but if she got in their way, there would be hell to pay. She couldn't control everything, but she could have an opinion on this.

"Jinx Travirez." Damn.

"Is there anyone else?" she asked. There was no hint of whine in her voice, no hint of pleading. Couldn't a woman just ask not to be tortured every once in a while?

"You cannot run from your past, Trinity. Jinx is both convenient and capable of taking care of her own. She is the only one we can use at this point," Morpheus stated firmly. There would be no arguing. When Morpheus put his foot down on something to be done, it got done whether you helped or not. 

"Dial Zion," Trinity answered as she fixed her gaze on the back of the phone booth. Morpheus looked at his command questioningly. 

"Just do it," she answered as he handed her the line. She built her mental walls once more as she placed the cool metal against her ear. 

"Get Jinx Travirez on the line, now," she demanded. She had a feeling the operator would waste no time in doing so. She was going to do this her way, and nothing would stand in her way.

The Merovingian thoughtfully tapped his wineglass as he gazed at his beloved wife. They were no longer gracing Club Hel with their presence, and the twins guarded the doors leading adjacent to the room. "What are you up to my love? Once he regains consciousness, we cannot keep him here. Undoubtedly, his friends will find some way to attract our attention away form him. Do you have something in mind?" he inquired as he leaned back into the couch. 

"My dear husband. You do not truly believe he can find his way out of here once he awakens, do you? An opportunity has presented itself to us. You needed to assign the twins a new challenge, and the One cannot possibly leave this place unless we allow it. Every door leads to our choice, and we could keep him here forever if we needed too. There is no code for him to read, and we need him," Persephone's smooth tone held a slight hint of seduction. She wanted this badly enough to use any method of persuasion. Why?

"I do believe you have an alternative motive, my sweet. Does using him against me in some way bring you joy, or is he there to bring revenge against me? He is a danger to the chateau, and he is a danger to us." The answers rolled off his tongue just as smoothly as her own. This was a game to her, and she was threading hot water. He adored watching her in her thrill of cat and mouse. He would dangle this in front of her until she willingly gave him what he wanted.

"It is not him I want, but I do desire his love's jealousy. I want to her begging me to let him go. I want to be able to understand the human emotions when they put through extremities only the strongest can survive. They will be at my mercy at the worst possible time," Persephone purred as rested her chin on her hands. The wild look in her eyes almost made him agree right then and there. The game would continue.

"He is a threat to the society we have built our lives on, and you want to throw it away for a simple game of love and jealousy. Why should I agree? I'm sure you can find another way to amuse yourself in the sheer boredom of your nights without me. The twins do not need an immediate challenge presented to them. You have messed with their lives more than enough to keep them busy for a month. Why should I accept this debacle challenge?" The Merovingian leaned towards her slightly.

His eyes met hers as a flicker of panic crossed her gaze and died. A twinkle of mischief held in her look as she masked it with layers of innocence and bemusement. Their gazes locked as the battle of wills began. She desired this more than anything else in a long time, and she wouldn't give it up to assure the safety of the exiles. A grin pulled at the corners of her mouth, and he lifted her chin in slight defeat.

"If he stays here, the twins will assigned by my direct order to do as they please with him. You will not be able to play your games on him until after I am assured he will not bring my home to ruin. It is only for your safety and that of my own. He will try to use you as a means to be set free, and his freedom is something I cannot allow. After the trials, you may do with him as you please under strict limitations," he replied as he held her gaze longer. He could see the fury building behind the wide orbs. 

"What limitations?" Persephone questioned suspiciously. It would just like her husband to reinforce his allowances in his own private war. She was always roped into his games and needed to know beforehand the rules, so she could bend and twist every one of them. She licked at the corners of her cherry lips in anticipation.

"You will not get romantically involved with him under any circumstances. I will have at least one of the twins with him at all times." He could see the wheels grinding in her brains. He knew of her secret rooms, and what went on in them. They would be blocked for the time being.

"And if I do not comply?" she murmured as she raised an eyebrow. He knew what she was up to. It would not continue on his watch.

"Then, you will be punished as every Exile in this building is when they do not follow my commands. I can have it arranged specifically for you, my love. Do not test my patience with your mind practices. It will not work this time," he whispered as he leaned towards her full lips.

"Merv, I would not treat him the same as I do you. My heart belongs to you, but he has captured my interest for the time being. I have been loyal to you, and will remain so. Why do you not trust me on this? I only conceive my own plans for the good of the chateau and our relationship," as she spoke the soft words, she inched closer to him and her hands brushed his. Only her dramatics set off warning bells in the Exile's mind.

"You gave the rebels the keymaker, ma chèrie. The time will come when your 'planning' will be our downfall. I will allow this only because I am intrigued by the emotions of the rebels. If they come, I shall have Morpheus as he is one of the key leaders. If more rebels follow, it will be on your head, 'Sephone," he whispered as he brought her closer. She smirked beneath him. 

"Je t'aime pour ç'est moment. I will not disappoint you, Merv. Neo will provide us valuable information, which will ensure our survival until the end of this matrix. The twins will help me extract information from him. I'm sure after a little unique persuading, he will be entirely willing to put forth everything we need to know," she whispered encouragingly. 

"Persephone," Mero warned. This was not her place to outright disobey him. She had been a program once, and she knew the consequences of his temper.

"Oh, it won't be sexually or romantically involvement. I know as well as you do, there are other methods of convincing techniques," she purred into his ear. She was setting up her trap nicely. The bait was set, the net was ready, and he only needed a tiny bit of assistance to jump in blindly. 

He pushed her away. "What are you going to do?" His wineglass lay forgotten as wine spilled drip by drip on the blood red carpet.

"What would you have me do? After all, I'm only a simple minded housewife," the sarcasm dripped from her lips as she bent down to pick up the wineglass. It nearly shattered in her hands. 

"I'm may forbid you yet from seeing him at all. I do suggest you hold your tongue while I address the twins. I may not be so pleasant later on tonight," he growled as he strode towards the door.

"It's only a matter of time, Merv," she whispered as she brushed off her dress. Her hair fell limply over her shoulders as she walked the other way.

"Indeed it is," he whispered back as he opened the door. 

Authors' Notes: R/R please. Next chapter should be out soon. 


	2. Shades of Gray

Authors' Notes: The history behind Jinx/Morpheus/Trinity will not be explained until further chapters. Make note of this. 

Constrained Tribulation: Chapter 2

_Run Neo, run! _

_Run away, Neo.  Run far away!_

Consciousness slowly dawned upon Neo, the smoky haze of confusion clearing.  His eyes began to focus as he sat up slowly, rubbing at his throbbing temple.  Events flashed by in his mind in a blur—stopping the sentinels, somehow instantly showing up in the Matrix…and that little Indian girl telling him to run.

He closed his eyes and concentrated on forcing the migraine away.  "At least I'm out of the Matrix now…" he muttered aloud.  Pushing himself to his feet, dizziness almost overcoming him, he began to tentatively call out her name.  "Trinity?" Where was she? Was she hurt? Where was he?

That's when he began to realize that things were not all what they seemed to be.  Looking around, he realized that he didn't know anywhere in the real world that looked like a stateroom. But there was no coding around to read.  He took a quick glance down at his clothing to see only a simple suit-like outfit, but definitely not his tattered rags of the real world.  It was as if the Real World and the Matrix had melded into one. 

"Where the hell am I?"  The room he was in was blindingly white, which made it difficult to discern its features in the beginning.  Once his eyes adjusted to the brightness, he saw a bookcase, a small bed, and a lone white rug on a white floor.  And most importantly, a wan luminescent dooor on the opposite end.

Once the dizziness cleared, he walked slowly over to the door and pushed it open, carefully looking around before stepping outside.  It was a simple, carpeted hallway in light brown, with bright paintings adorning the walls.  The door shut silently behind him, and Neo found he was unable to open it again.  He pressed down on the soft carpet to make sure no traps were laid out before him. There were none. 

Cursing his luck, Neo began to walk down the hall, rounding the corner to find another door at the end.  He reached for the doorknob and tried to turn it, but it was locked tight.  So Neo turned and went back the other way, just to find another door at the end of that corner.  He reached to try to open the door, but the doorknob turned and the door creaked open before he'd managed to get his hand around it.

He frowned, staring at the opening.  Just what the hell was going on?  He slowly pushed the door open and shut it behind him, finding himself in what seemed to be a kitchen.  He was just starting for the window when he heard voices coming towards the room.  He once again tried to go back through the door he'd just come through, but once again, it wouldn't open.  The voices were getting closer.

"Hey, are those rumors true?"

"What, the boss has the One trapped here?"  A ghastly laugh could be heard.  "Unlikely."

"I heard he needed part of his code so he could create a termination program for the agent-gone-insane, or something."

"Oh yeah!  What's his name…ah…Smith!"

Neo swallowed a lump in his throat as he could hear them just steps away from the other side.  At the last second, he dove into the walk in freezer and pulled the door almost shut, praying silently to whatever forces were there that they wouldn't notice the open freezer door.  He strained his ears to hear what they were saying over the buzzing of the machine.

"So, I heard that the Merovingian was pretty pleased with Persephone after tricking that Zion bunch into leaving Club Hel." Neo shivered in the cold.

"Yeah, but he's forbidden her to see him.  If you ask me, he's being a hypocrite with all the women HE screws behind her back." Was it dropping in degrees?

The other voice laughed.  "Don't let him hear you say that or he'll delete you." How long until they noticed?

"Yeah, yeah…"  The sound of metal against metal could be heard.  "Hey, isn't it cold in here?" Damn.

There was silence for a moment.  "It is.  Hey, the freezer door's open." Here they come…

Neo's heart stopped as he heard footsteps coming towards him.  He quickly weighed all of his options.  He could stay in the freezer and freeze to death, which was not exactly what he was looking to accomplish…  Or he could run like hell and hope he could outrun them.  He had no code to manipulate, and therefore no special powers.  Not exactly what he wanted to do either, but it was a lot better than just staying where he was…  He closed his eyes and waited for the footsteps to hit the right spot.

"It IS open."  The voice was right outside of the door.  "You know what?  I bet that new recruit did it when….AHHH!"

The program never got to finish his sentence because Neo slammed the door open, smashing bones and crushing organs as the unsuspecting creature was pinned to the wall.

"What the…!"

Neo dove across the room, grabbing the knife on the table that he'd heard earlier.  Before the other program had stood completely up, Neo thrust the knife into its chest, piercing the heart.  He convulsed violently for a moment, but slumped back into the chair, his half-eaten sandwich splattered with blood. No breath was heard while the program's head lolled back. 

"Shit," Neo muttered, looking around quickly to confirm that both programs were, in fact, dead.  The program crushed behind the freezer door looked to be very human-like, while the other one had purple skin.  Neo clenched his teeth as he drug both of their bodies inside of the freezer and shut it tight.  It was nice to know all of his martial arts 'training' was still useful without his powers as the One. He always knew having Morpheus as his trainer would come in handy. 

He left the kitchen as quickly as possible, knowing that someone would soon be on to him.  So, he was in the Merovingian's Chateau?  But it just didn't feel right…  He rounded another corner quickly, opening yet another door and shutting it behind him.  He closed his eyes and leaned back against the door, trying to calm his nerves.  He was succeeding, until he heard two identical voices beside him:

"The One doesn't leave…"

"…without the Merovingian's permission."

Neo's eyes snapped open. 

~~~~~

_Help!!! Don't go without me! They'll kill me in here! _The screams died as Trinity blocked everything from her mind at the sound of Jinx's voice. "I'll be there. Don't be late," the deadly soft voice answered on the other end of the line. Trinity let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. 

"Neo did what?!"  Niobe shook her head, and looked back to them as to make sure she'd heard correctly.

Morpheus nodded.  "That's right.  He stopped the sentinels with his mind…outside the Matrix."

"We all saw it," Link muttered.  "He's in some kind of coma now, stuck in the Matrix somewhere."

Niobe shared a glance with Ghost before looking back to them.  "How?"

"We don't know."  Morpheus reservedly sighed.

"Where in the Matrix is he?"

"We don't know."

Niobe frowned.  "Did you run a search?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"He's not there."

Niobe struggled to not roll her eyes. She would not submit to childish behaviors at the moment. "What do we know?"

The room grew eerily quiet as they all stared at each other, no one wanting to speak at first.  Finally Link spoke up, very softly.  "Trinity's on the line with Jinx at the moment."

"Oh, great…"  Niobe groaned.  "So what are we going to do?  The machines will beat us to Zion, if we leave now.  However, if Neo is jacked in the Matrix like you say, then won't leaving broadcast depth kill him? If it has come to calling Jinx, we're in it deep."

Link frowned.  "There's no way to know. I don't even know who Jinx is."

Trinity looked slightly agitated as she strode into the room. She muttered curses as she leaned over Sparks' shoulder. Zooming in on the South and Broad Streets, she grumbled as she watched Jinx drinking tea with an old friend. Did they do this just to spite her? Was it her curse to relive the mistakes of her past over and over again? 

"She's in, Morpheus."

"We must take our leave."

Ghost held his bated breath as his captain glanced between the two. Finally, she rested her eyes on Sparks. A silent agreement passed between. _If your ninth life goes out the window, I'm going to kill both you as slowly as humanly possible. _"Load us up, Sparks. We'll need all the help you can give us." Ghost grinned.

Sparks turned to Link, "Let me tell you a few things about our resident suicidal fighter. She's the best we have, but it wasn't worth. Not the price she had to pay…." 

~~~~~

Neo ran as fast as his legs would take him, away from the advancing forms of the Twins.  He rounded corners, flung doors open, but still could not find an exit to this maze. It was every rebel's worst nightmare to be trapped in a dream where everything faded into white and black. They were trapping him and he needed an escape. White and Black. Cat and Mouse. It was almost as if they were herding him…

He dove around a corner and barreled into Twin One. Gunshots were fired, but they couldn't be aimed at him. They needed him. He bodyslammed a door to his right, and ran through the steamy sauna as he made his way to the other side. Shades of gray were now occurring as a plan swirled in his brain. He dived under the sauna chair as a bullet pierced placed he had just been. 

Light stabbed at his eyes as he tucked and rolled into the opposite hallway. Twin Two grinned as he cocked his gun at Neo. "Is the One ready…."

"…for another round?" Twin One whispered as he phased back into the steamy room. Twin Two raised his gun and fired and the ceiling. Apparently, the Merovingian had wanted another client removed from his sight. "You have lost the first time…"

"We suggest you run."

They wanted games? Why? He dodged around another corner as he saw the escape. He could hear the twins moving as one behind him. There wasn't much time. 

A door popped open to his left, and he heard a faintly familiar voice.  "This way."

Taking one last look behind him where he could hear the Twins approaching, he dove through the door, slamming it shut behind him.  Their voices could still be heard clearly through the wood.

"Where is he?"

"The Merovingian will not be happy with us…"

"We must find him."

"We need a key."

"Yes, we do."

"The Merovingian will not be pleased."

"We will suffice."

He held his breath as he heard them continue on down the hallway, and then let it out in relief.  But suddenly, he realized he wasn't alone in that small room…

"They can't find you in here.  And you can't leave either, for that matter.  This room is sealed from all directions, and there is no code you can manipulate."  Neo turned around to see a familiar face sitting on a nearby couch, looking very happy with herself. She sipped the white wine the Merovingian left for her.  

"Persephone."

Faintly, he could almost feel the twins phasing towards them. 

Notes: Another chapter. Hope you liked it. Review please! Ja ne ~Insane Pineapple from Naboo and Aquarian Wind

There has also been a roleplay I started based on the first chapter of this story. You can find it at lotrmatrix.hyperboards.com under Chaos Reigns. I suspect that neither one will be anything like the other. 


	3. Dangerous Games

Authors' Notes: Happy New Year everyone! I might be a bit late, but this was written the day before New Years. 

**Important Note: **I have been granted permission to call the twins 'Alpha' and 'Beta'. I will fix the names in chapter two tomorrow. You have White Rabbit to thank for that. 

Constrained Tribulation: Chapter 3

"You're late," the dangerously soft voice came from ahead of her. She glared into the cold, gray eyes as she took her seat in front of the unwelcoming presence. She felt her mask slip the tiniest bit as the woman in front of her studied her with uncaring caution. Her secrets had guarded behind a façade matching no other. She lashed out at the sea of unresolved issues and indifferent emotions.

"You're early," she answered as she rested languidly in the chair. A puff of steam rose from her latte as she waited for the arrival of her companions. Her dimmed green eyes clashed with the gray as sipped her latte with unnatural grace. The clock ticked impatiently behind her as the door opened to admit her companions. She left them to their own fate for the moment as she tried to gain ground.

"Jinx," she muttered almost inaudibly. Jinx's head snapped up at the sound of the voice. The raw pain laced with regret forced her to face her old contact. She studied the woman in her black leathers as she moved to stand up. Her eyes flickered over to Niobe, Morpheus, and Ghost, but she ignored them for now. She wasn't here for pleasantries and would not take sympathy from any of them.

"Trinity," she spoke nonchalantly. She had been trained to become detached to any emotions. Emotions caused distractions, and led to her ultimate downfall. To feel once more was a luxury far out of reach. Her short, chestnut hair was pulled back from her pale face. Her leather, black duster swayed against her black tank, beige cargo pants, and army boots as she moved to greet Morpheus.

"Where is he?" she asked as she motioned towards the door. Jinx heard Trinity sigh softly behind her as they made their way out of the small café. They knew very well where Neo was, or at least they had an idea. They wouldn't have come to her on a pure whim. She glared at the kids playing on the sidewalk as they walked past the large apartment homes. The kids scattered in her wake.

"He's in the Chateau," she heard Morpheus admit reluctantly. This must have gotten too far out of hand if they waited until now to get her attention. Ghost and Niobe were sharing looks, and she read their silent communication. It seems the great captain Morpheus hadn't shared all the information with their companions. She suppressed the urge to snap at him for such a foolish action. He must have had his reasons. 

"Then what do you want me to do? Track down the Chateau? I thought we were past this, Morpheus. I'm not here to play games with the Merovingian. I won't be taunted with hints until someone loses patience and attacks from the wrong front. If we are going after the Merovingian, we're going after all the Exiles," she said as she stopped before an iron door. Jinx never anticipated the hard slap in the face until seconds afterward. 

"We're not here to face our past demons," she hissed as Jinx turned at patented glare on her. "We're here to find, Neo. If I can handle facing you again, you can find him. It's not his fault you're trapped in your own damned hell. It's mine, so don't even think of going in there without us. You can get yourself killed any day of the week, but not today," Trinity whispered harshly. It was her fault Jinx was trapped behind a cage day after day, but Jinx wasn't about to let the demons roam free.

"It was nobody's fault, and if you'd take one second out of your own guilt, you'd see it. You know why I have that damn reputation in Zion. No one could even think of the truth. Their poor defenseless Zion is more important than an almost suicidal soldier. I'm not even considered a soldier anymore. I'm just a nameless weapon Zion wants to toss away when I'm all used up. And you know what? I don't care anymore. I can't. It might get me killed," Jinx growled as she bodyslammed the door open.

Trinity grabbed the scruff of her duster and pushed her up against the door. "You don't want sympathy, and I won't offer any, but Neo needs our help. The problem is that you're the one with the choice. Make it now," she mocked as she glared into those cold, gray eyes. She felt Jinx tense for the spring, but she held fast. They had no time left for any of these. The Merovingian didn't need to be involved. They'd kill themselves by the end of it.

"I said I would find him for you," Jinx hissed as she held up her blade at Trinity's exposed throat. Trinity sent a final glare at her before stepping back. She flicked her dagger back into her sleeve before pushing away from the wall. "If you want me to find, I suggest you stop bringing up the past. Now. We can deal our own problems later." Jinx further punctuated the conversation by taking steps closer to Trinity.

"Jinx," Morpheus waned as he motioned towards the door. She could sense the agents as they ran closer. She slammed the door forcefully shut as she muttered about interruptions. She opened the door into the hallway as they heard pounding on the front entrance. Niobe and Ghost entered first, followed shortly by Trinity and Morpheus. She shut the door behind them as the iron door opened under the agents' force.

"Do you where we're going," Niobe asked briskly as Jinx led them through a series of tunnels. Jinx ignored her momentarily as watched the guarded entrance. The two guards would be easy to take out, but they needed a quick diversion. She fingered the smoke grenade in her pocket but knew it would be needed later. She shook her head as she retraced her steps for a moment.

"I know exactly where we're going. This is the Merovingian's private warehouse for recycling code. There is an entrance to the Chateau inside, but it will impossible for us to enter. We need to get someone's attention inside there, but first we have to get the guards away from the door. Ghost?" she asked. He nodded in a heartbeat as he moved towards the outside of the door. 

~~~~~~~~ 

"This is not your arena, Persephone. You are not in control of him," Alpha hissed as he moved closer to Neo. Neo backed farther away form the twin as he glanced around for some sort of weapon. The room seemed deprived, however, or anything except lavishing furniture. The twin glared at him with a guarded expression as he moved away from Persephone's prying eyes.

"Not so fast," Beta's voice whispered dangerously in his ear. Neo tensed as a blade was moved underneath his chin and lifted his head to face Alpha and Persephone. His fingers itched for something to jab back into the twin so he could escape. The hot breath on his neck was tinged with irritation from the dire interruption. Neo thought fast as he held onto the hope of escape. 

"We do not have time for your games, Persephone. We are under orders," Alpha state with the resentment lingering in his voice. They hated Persephone with a passion for everything she had done to them, but they were sworn to secrecy over her continuous mind games. Alpha didn't need to look over to Beta before knowing the anger was coming from his twin. Alpha never held anything against the mistress, but his twin was never one to let things go lightly.

"You will make time. My husband has set boundaries around the One, but what are rules if not to be broken? Laws were written for the sole purpose of defining crimes instead of stopping them. He will be mine, Alpha," Persephone said as she narrowed her eyes under lowered lashes. She began to circle Alpha like a predator stalking much larger game than herself. The twin followed her impatiently. 

"You will not interfere with us. We have work to do, Persephone. You do not control him, and you have no power over us," Beta answered as he moved Neo closer to the door. Instead of turning the knob and walking through, he phased through the door, taking Neo with him. It was most particular sensation to Neo; it was as if his coding was rearranging itself to fit through the coding of the door. He kept it in mind for later use.

They appeared outside the wall with the knife still pressed to his jugular. It was pulled away quickly as Beta turned Neo around to look at him. "That will not happen often," Beta answered simply to the unspoken question. Neo nodded as he stepped back from the twin. Beta sighed harshly as he heard his twin arguing with Persephone further. Neo relaxed as he studied the corridor.

"Why am I here?" Neo asked softly as the corridor seemingly changed. The chateau was always changing as not to same in the same for place for others to find in his predictament. Beta glanced at him annoyed as he began walking down the hallway. Beta followed after a hesitant minute. 'Come and find us when you're done with the mistress,' he sent to Alpha mentally before answering Neo.

"The Merovingian has his reasons. Don't ask questions we can't answer," Alpha growled as he pulled closely behind them. He cursing under his breath about the mistress of the chateau and Neo wondered what the political relations were in the household. It seemed as if everyone made up their own rules and followed only what they dared to afford. Neo grimaced as a door opened and he saw those damned mountains again.

"Trouble?" Beta asked drily as they went through the kitchen to a new level. The chefs promptly ignored them as they made new orders from the restraunt above. The hazy smoke lingered with them as they passed into a new area of the chateau. A large checkerboard floor contrasted greatly to the white and sky blue walls. Alpha led them up through a single staircase until they reached the chambers.

"Persephone shouldn't be getting in our way again," Alpha muttered almost sarcastically as he motioned for Neo to enter the room. The door shut tightly behind him and he sighed deeply as he looked about the room. He was in a cage no matter how fancy his cell was. The bed held elaborate draperies with a couch somewhere off to the right. There looked to be an entrance behind the dresser, but it was probably guarded as well.

"What do we do if she returns?" Beta asked Alpha as the door shut behind them. They had to safeguard the door and the entrance on the other side, but not before they found a way to keep Persephone out. They knew their mistress well, and she would keep trying until she had succeeding in catching her prey. Alpha grinned as he secured the door shut to prevent the door from being opened.

"Could we create a program looking similar to the One?" Alpha asked as he leaned against the door. Programs were created all the time, and the ones doing their jobs would only go noticed in the chateau. How long had it been since there was a program other than a rogue program in the chateau? It would definitely stir up controversy and keep the twins amused long enough during this assignment.

"We know one of the programmers," Beta offered as he quickly caught on to the plan. They did know one of the exiled programmers from the matrix. The programmer was an older version of the machines, but he would do nicely for this assignment. They would need a cut of the physical data of the One. It would be no trouble at all leading Persephone around on a leash in circles.

"Yes we do."

They headed off towards the entrance to the matrix without a second thought. The unguarded door lay forgotten in their midst. 

Behind closed doors, Neo shouldered the forgotten one. The pressure finally gave way as he stumbled through the opening. He readied himself to see Persephone languidly waiting for him, but he relaxed when no such sight came before him. No twins were phasing towards him, and guardposts were unguarded. It was quiet, almost too quiet. He could not read the code here, but alarm bells were ringing.

Authors' Notes: We live for reviews. Good? Bad? Send in them in. I'm sure we can handle them. Ja ne, ~Insane Pineapple from Naboo and Aquarian Wind

(Also, if you hate Mary Sues as much as I do, check out my new joint fic. It's under the Worlds Apart MS Hunters.)


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